By Padraig Harrington

Consider the landing
Coming from Ireland, I learned pretty quickly how to hit the ball low. It’s the only way to control the ball in high winds. The low ball might be my best shot, but it can be useless in this country. There’s no point hitting a low shot into firm, fast greens, so consider what the ball will do when it lands before you hit it. If you don’t think you’ll be able to stop it on the green, go higher.

Choose the right club
I’d recommend taking one club longer than normal and gripping down an inch or two. The ball will fly the same distance as it would with the shorter club, but the lower loft in the longer one will keep the shot down.

Get closer to the ball
You need to set up a little closer to the ball to stay over it when you swing—I’ll explain this in my next point. For a middle iron, play the ball in the middle of your stance, or even a bit farther back, so you make contact with the clubface in a delofted position.

Stay on top of it
Make a three-quarter backswing and a three-quarter finish, focusing on “staying on top of the ball.” What I mean is, feel as if you’re covering the ball with your chest as you swing through impact. This will help you trap the ball against the turf, lowering the flight.

Don’t forget: Practice
You can’t expect to play this shot well once every two weeks. On the range, remember to hit some of these low balls, too.